What are some common pitfalls to avoid when communicating your policy issue?

1 Pitfall 1: Not knowing your audience

One of the first steps in communicating your policy issue is to know who you are talking to and what they care about. You need to tailor your message to their values, interests, needs, and concerns. You also need to consider their level of knowledge, their potential objections, and their preferred channels of communication. If you ignore your audience's perspective, you risk losing their attention, trust, or support.

2 Pitfall 2: Using jargon or technical terms

Another common mistake is to use jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand or relate to. Jargon is the specialized language used by a specific group or profession, such as acronyms, abbreviations, or technical terms. While jargon may be useful for communicating with experts or insiders, it can confuse, alienate, or bore your general audience. To avoid this pitfall, use simple and plain language that your audience can easily comprehend and remember.

3 Pitfall 3: Overloading your message with facts and data

While facts and data are essential for supporting your policy issue, they are not enough to persuade or inspire your audience. If you overload your message with too many facts and data, you may overwhelm, confuse, or bore your listeners. You may also miss the opportunity to connect with their emotions, values, or stories. To avoid this pitfall, use facts and data selectively and strategically. Choose the most relevant and impactful ones, and explain how they relate to your audience's lives and interests.

4 Pitfall 4: Not framing your issue effectively

Framing is the way you present your policy issue to your audience, and it can have a significant impact on how they perceive and respond to it. Framing involves choosing the words, images, metaphors, and stories that highlight certain aspects of your issue and downplay others. If you do not frame your issue effectively , you may fail to capture your audience's attention, appeal to their values, or motivate them to take action. To avoid this pitfall, use framing techniques that match your audience's worldview, emphasize the benefits and urgency of your issue, and offer a clear and feasible solution.

5 Pitfall 5: Not using stories or examples

Stories and examples are powerful tools for communicating your policy issue, as they can illustrate, humanize, and personalize your message. Stories and examples can help your audience visualize, empathize, and remember your issue. They can also inspire, persuade, or challenge your listeners to take action. If you do not use stories or examples, you may miss the chance to engage your audience emotionally and intellectually. To avoid this pitfall, use stories or examples that are relevant, credible, and memorable.

6 Pitfall 6: Not asking for action or feedback

The ultimate goal of communicating your policy issue is to influence your audience's behavior or attitude. Therefore, you need to include a clear and specific call to action or feedback in your message. A call to action or feedback is a request or suggestion that you make to your audience to do something or share something related to your issue. If you do not ask for action or feedback, you may lose the opportunity to mobilize, empower, or learn from your audience. To avoid this pitfall, ask for action or feedback that is realistic, measurable, and timely.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?